John Saunders Davies, a Welsh contractor, is urging those in the industry to get checked as soon as possible if they notice a change in their health.
The plea comes as he discussed his bowel cancer diagnosis from a year and a half ago. He is currently undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy.
He said: “I wasn’t feeling too well. I felt a bit down. I was going to the toilet more often, and felt that things were pulling on the stomach”.
“Like many men and people from the countryside, it’s in our nature to be a little hard-headed. After about six months my partner decided to take me to the doctor for an examination. After doing a stool test, the doctor came back on the phone and told me that there was quite a bit of blood in the stools. I then got an appointment to go to Glan Clwyd Hospital to see an oncologist, who did a few further tests. They discovered a tumour in my intestine and I was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
“It is important that we as men, as farmers, look after our own health – that your families, especially your children, know that there is a future for you if you are treated early enough.”
He shared his story as part of The Farming Community Network’s #NipItInTheBud campaign with Macmillan Cancer Support. For more information go to www.fcn.org.uk